


ME3 - Endgame

by rprambles



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Alternate Ending, Combat, Gen, Major Character Injury, Pain, Serious Injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-01
Updated: 2014-01-01
Packaged: 2018-01-07 02:07:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1114254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rprambles/pseuds/rprambles





	ME3 - Endgame

"Shepard!"

Hira came to with a jolt, gasp of air catching in her throat. She coughed and heaved as she pushed herself up onto her hands and knees. Her body protested the movement rather loudly.

"Commander, do you read me?"

She gave her head a shake and grimaced. Focus. “Loud and clear, sir.”

Relief and concern colored Hackett’s voice. “Are you wounded?”

Hira glanced at the drips of blood on the other-wise immaculate floor. “Fine, sir.” Biting back a pained grunt she got to her feat, hunched over and wobbling slightly.

"Our readouts say you’re on the Citadel."

"Affirmative." She looked around slowly at the elegant passage. No fountains or burning flora, but the layout matched her memory. "Looks like the top of the Citadel Tower."

"You need to get to Citadel Control and open the station’s arms."

"Copy that." She bent over to retrieve her pistol, checking the thermal clip. Eight shots. Not great, but workable. Her omnitool’s interface flickered briefly when she activated it, but it seemed to work. That left her charred and scored armor as the largest concern.

She limped her way down the passage, keeping to the edges in an attempt to make herself a smaller target. Past the entryway, it bore little resemblance to the Council chambers she remembered, the walkway elevated above the glittering city below. Dark patches stood out against the lights, likely a loss of power. She swallowed and forced the thought of Kolyat and where he might be out of her mind. Focus on the job.

Ahead, strutts from the far-off walls and ceiling supported the passageway until it finally came to an end in a long dias. A console stood in standby at the far end. And between her and it a well-dressed figure. Hira scowled, forcing herself to straighten. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her wounded and limping. Drawing on discipline and stubborn will she charged forward.

The Illusive Man turned as she aproached; blue-black Reaper technology climbed up his throat to his temples, eyes glittering bright. “Shepard-“

She plugged two shots between his eyes and kept walking. She didn’t stop until she hit the console, gripping the metal frame tight as she caught her breath, legs shaking. After a moment she keyed in the instructions. The orange and white lights of the Citadel arms split vertically, windows of deep black growing wider. “Arms are opening, sir.”

"Well done, Commander. It will take a few minutes for the Crucible to align right, and then you have the honor of pressing the kill-switch on the Reapers. I think it’s only fair."

Hira huffed softly, too tired to argue that she honestly didn’t care. “Yes sir.” She let her eyes drift shut, leaning on the console and waiting for him to give the word. Almost over. Just a few minutes and then she could finally stop.

A crackling rumble and her eyes snapped open, spike of adrenaline pushing off her exhaustion. She turned around to see the Illusive Man’s body spasming with dark red energy. It twisted and morphed, limbs elongating as the torso cracked open and expanded.

"Figures," Hira muttered, activating her cloak.

She rolled between the creature’s spindly legs, biting her lip as pain shot up her back. Her cloak flickered off as she flung an incendiary charge into its back. It swivled around and howled, empty sockets glowing a malevolent loathing yellow. “ **SHEPARD**.”

She threw another incendiary right in its face and vanished, falling back along the passageway. She needed to keep it away from that console. It barreled after her, spitting out the Reaper’s trademark laser in bursts. One hissed past her side, dangerously close. She ducked behind a support strut, listening as it clanged closer. Wait. Wait.

" **YOU STRUGGLE AGAINST THE UNSTOPPABLE.** "

The metal underfoot creaked slightly and she rose, emptying her pistol into its face. It roared as she vanished into her cloak again, seeking a new refuge. She tossed the pistol off the edge with a scowl and listened for a break in the laser bursts. When it came she ducked out long enough to toss another incendiary; fire bloomed uselessly on the metal, charring its surface. She hissed a curse and turned her cloak on again, moving to another spot.

The cloak lasted only a few moments, her omnitool glitching briefly. Hira had just enough time to realize this before another salvo came her way. One of the bursts hit her hard in the side, searing through what was left of her armor and she tumbled to the floor.

" **YOUR FORM IS FRAGILE AND FAILING.** "

She pushed herself up, shaking off her landing in time for something to hit her hard and send her bouncing down the walkway. Every impact sent a fresh wave of agony through her. When she eventually slid to a halt, she simply lay there and fought off the encroaching blackness. She couldn’t pass out, she couldn’t rest yet.

Her vision finally cleared enough that she could see the creature crouched above her, eyes glittering. It pinned her down with one vice-like hand on her middle, trapping her left arm against her side. Slowly the hand began to tighten around her, cutting through blackened armor easily. She bit back a yelp as something in her hand broke under the strain.

" **YOUR FATE HAS ALWAYS BEEN INEVITABLE.** "

She flicked her omniblade out in her free hand and drove it through the creature’s abdomen. It stiffened, garbling mechanically as she pulled the blade up its torso. Sparks and stray energy singed her arm and the smell of burnt hair and metal filled her nose. She ignored it, splitting the creature from navel to crown. It gave a final roar before her blade sliced through its head and the halves fell to each side with a clatter.

Her arm dropped hard against the floor as exhaustion surged back in. Her eyes drifted shut, breaths shallow and painful. She couldn’t feel her left arm and was vaguely aware of wet warmth spreading across her stomach. Hira found it difficult to care about any of this.

"Shepard! Shepard, come in!"

She pried her eyes open. “Sir.”

"The Crucible is aligned, you need to hit that button."

It took a moment for that to register in her mind, then she slowly began prying herself out of the mechanical carcass. Her hand slipped on the blood-slicked metal and she bit back a whine as she pulled the “fingers” loose one by one until she had enough room to crawl away. Her left arm refused to move, so she tucked it against her middle, out of the way, and began pulling herself toward the console. Every inch toward it sent shocks of pain through her. How much of her was broken by now? Had that damn console always been that far away?

She wanted to stop. To just lie there and breathe and maybe die. Quiet dark death sounded pretty good right now. She didn’t dare, pulling an inch closer with her good arm, pushing another inch with her legs. Stopping would lose the little momentum she had and she knew she couldn’t build it back up again. She had to finish this. And no dying. She’d promised.

Finally, finally she hit the metal pedestal. She pulled a little further, pressing her back flush to the metal, and reached. Her muscles screamed with the stretch and she whimpered as she felt blindly for the right key. “C’mon, dammit, where…”

The lights changed suddenly, gold washing out the reds and blues. She let her hand slip back to her side as a voice murmured in her ear. She couldn’t make out the words, but it held a note of triumph and relief.

Oh she wanted to sleep. Close her eyes and never wake up again. But she couldn’t do that. She’d promised. Just a short nap, then. Just a rest. Kolyat wouldn’t fault her that, would he?

She huffed softly as darkness seeped in. Then again, it was Kolyat.


End file.
